Who is happy with their Bamboo floor?

I want to install light-colored Bamboo floors in my new home, but I have been advised against it. My floor guy tells me that every light-colored Bamboo floor he has seen looks bad, and says the gaps between panels give the floor a shiny effect. I want to know if anyone has light bamboo floor in their home, and the pros and cons of it. Also, I am thinking of going through Lumber Liquidators. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Who is happy with their Bamboo floor?
I have light-colored Bamboo floors in my home and I love it. I've gotten lots of compliments on it. The only down side is that the surface tends to scratch real easily.





I got mine at Manards. I can't remember off the top of my head who the manufacturer is?
Reply:I have light bamboo floors purchased from Lumber Liquidators and Iove them. However there are pros and cons:





Pros:


• easy to maintain,


• looks great,


• not as "cold" (to the foot) as some other types of wood


• Scratches are not very visible.


• great price- we got our for $1.95 per sq. ft.


• environmentally friendly - bamboo is a grass and therefore replenishes quickly.








Cons:


• Because bamboo is a grass and not a wood, it does scratch/dent easily HOWEVER, I had laminate (I HATE LAMINATE) in my last home and my mother has maple floors and they dent/scratch just as much. I have two dogs and the scratches are barely visible. I mostly notice them when I mop on hands and knees. The only horrible scratches I got were from some drunk "friends" who decided they wanted to slide across my floor in army boots with rocks stuck in the soles of their shoes!





Also, my husband installed the bamboo himself but he does have experience- used to be a floor professional. I would recommend that you hire a professional. The bamboo I purchased had a slight beveled edge but I've never noticed the "shinny effect".





There should be NO GAPS! If your contractor says there's gaps, GET ANOTHER CONTRACTOR!!! He doesn't know what he's doing. Maybe that's why he doesn't like bamboo. My husband sanded the concrete smooth, sealed the concrete, then used mastic to glue the floor down. It should be glued down, otherwise you get that horrible hollow floor sound.





I've had my floors for three years now and I'm very happy with them. Oh, I also purchased a BEAUTIFUL diamond accent border from Lumber Liquidators. Everybody loves it. Send me an email if you want to see photos.
Reply:A close friend of mine just had a light colored bamboo floor installed throughout her home and it is beautiful. She bought the flooring at costco and had a pro install it. I didn't notice any gaps between panels- they seem to fit perfectly together.
Reply:My husband lays floors and he also advises against it. Alot of it depends on if you have pets,kids,etc... These floors are very pretty floors but are quite expensive.


Just keep in mind that you want it to last a long time you dont want to pay money for something and then a few months later it be all scratched up.


The best floor that I have come across that does not scratch or dent is Laminate.


Good luck to you